Locking mechanism for sectional coolers

ABSTRACT

REFRIGERATED EQUIPMENT EMBODYING A PLURALITY OF PANELS SECURED TOGETHER IN EDGE RELATION WITH EACH PANEL BEING FORMED OF A BODY OF THERMAL INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING METAL SHEETS SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE FACES OF THE INSULATING MATERIAL WHEREIN THE SHEETS HAVE EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF TURNED INWARDLY ADJACENT THE EDGES OF THE PANELS AND PRESENTING REVERSELY TURNED FLANGES EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE METAL   SHEETS. BRACKETS ARE SUPPORTED BY SUCH FLANGES AND HAVING PANEL-SECURING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE BRACKETS.

United States Patent l 13,ss7,199

[ 72] lnventors James Henry Levittown, Pm;

Winfield R. Burt's, Trenton, NJ. [21] Appl. No. 811,102 [22] Filed Mar. 27,1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Emhart Corporation.

' Bloomfield. Conn.

[54] LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SECTIONAL COOLERS 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] (1.8. CI 52/582 [51] Int. 1504c ll) [50] Field of Search 52/582,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,987 9/1931 Cooper 52/582X 2,635,269 4/1953 Smith 287/20-92.4X 2,647,287 8/1953 Jones 52/582 2,775,799 1/1957 Friderich 287/20-92.4

2,842,814 7/1958 Lindgren 52/581X 2,942,310 6/1960 Whittlesey et al. 287120-924 3,252,258 5/1966 Blickman et al. 52/584X 3,341,233 9/1967 Cushman 52/581X 3,392,497 7/1968 Cushman 52/584X FOREIGN PATENTS 224,520 6/1959 Australia 287/20-92.4

Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Sam D. Burke, Ill Attorney-Sperry and Zoda ABSTRACT: Refrigerated equipment embodying a plurality of panels secured together in edge to edge relation with each panel being formed of a body of thermal insulating material having metal sheets secured to the opposite faces of the insulating material wherein the sheets have edge portions thereof turned inwardly adjacent the edges of the panels and presenting reversely turned flanges extending parallel to the metal sheets. Brackets are supported by such flanges and having panel-securing means mounted on the brackets.

PATENTEUJUNZBIBYI 3587,1953

\HUEUTOILb, James Hemzv WIHFIELO fl. bums BYM B LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SECTIONAL COOLERS FIELD OF INVENTION It is common practice to construct refrigerated equipment with a plurality of preformed panels arranged in edge to edge relation and secured together by complimentary locking means. Such panels are frequently formed of a body of thermal-insulating material provided with sheets of metal secured to the opposite faces of the insulating material and with the complimentary locking means located in registering relation in the edges of the panels.

It is desirable to limit or prevent heat transfer from the metal sheet on one face of the panel to the metal sheet on the opposite face thereof but a problem is then presented in mounting the panel-securing means between the metal sheets. Thus, the thennal-insulating material does not have the requisite strength to mount the securing means and prevent them from being displaced or pulled out of the insulating material when force is applied to the securing means to draw the edges of the panels together.

In accordance with the present invention this problem is overcome by forming the metal sheets of the opposite faces of the thermal-insulating material with marginal portions which extend inwardly about the edges of the insulating material and terminate in spaced reversely turned flanges which extend parallel to the outer metal sheets. Brackets are then located between the metal sheets andare supported by the reversely turned flanges whereas the panel-securing means are mounted on such brackets. Thereafter when the securing means are actuated to draw the edges of adjacent panels together, the forces exerted on the securing means are applied to the reversely turned flanges and in a direction parallel to the metal sheets so as to place the sheets under tension and oppose any tendency for the metal sheets to flex or buckle transversely. At the same time the brackets and panel-securing means may be readily applied to the flanges on the metal sheets and adjusted in position prior to the introduction and expansion of the thermal insulation forming material between the metal sheets in producing the completed panel.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective illustrating portions of two adjacent panels embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the assembly of FIG. 1 taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustrating an assembly including a pair of brackets and a securing means applied to the reversely turned flanges of the metal sheets in a panel;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of portions of two assembled panels taken on a line indicated as 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective of the clip illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in the drawings, a refrigerated structure is provided with a plurality of thermally insulated panels as indicated at 2 and 4. Each panel is formed with a central body of thermal insulating material 6, which is preferably an expanded "foamed-inplace" type. of resinous composition. Metal sheets 8 and I0 are secured to the opposite faces of the insulating material and are each provided with an edge portion 12 which extends inwardly about the edges of the panel and terminates in a reverselytumed flange 14 that extends generally parallel to the outer sheet. The flange 14 on the metal sheet 8 is spaced from the flange 14 of the sheet I0..The material exposed between the metal sheets on one edge of the panel projects outwardly between the sheets as indicated at I6 whereas the insulation between the metal sheets at the opposite edge of the panel is recessed as indicated at I8 so as to provide the panels with tongue and groove formations at their opposite edges for mating contact with adjacent panels. That edge of each panel having the female recess I8 has a gasket 17 located in the recess and formed with rearwardly extending anchor means 19 which are embedded in the expanded insulation material to hold the gasket in place. The opposite or exposed face of the gasket may be provided with deformable ribs 21 of the like designed to be engaged by the projecting male portion I6 of an adjacent panel to seal the joint between the panels.

Each panel is provided with one or more panel-securing means exposed in the edges of the panels between the metal sheets for drawing the edges of the panels together and securing them in place. The securing means employed may be of the type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,l9l,244. Such securing means may include a male member 20 having a latch member 22 which is exposed within the projecting portion I6 of the insulating material and adapted to be actuated by rotation of a shaft 24 to move the latch member through an opening in the gasket 17 and into and out of locking engagement with a pin 26 mounted in a female member 28 exposed within the recessed portion I8 of the insulating material of an adjacent panel.

The securing means 20 and 28 illustrated each include spaced sideplates 30 which are joined together about their edges by thin flat connected portions 32. Brackets 34 are located adjacent the opposite ends of the securing means and have central looped portions 36 which embrace and engage the connected portions 32 of the securing means. The brackets 34 further have outwardly inclined legs 38 which terminate in parallel ends 40 that are spaced-apart and positioned so as to be located adjacent the parallel reversely turned flanges I4 of the metal sheets 8 and I0. Clips 42 which are generally S-shaped in form embrace the edges of the flanges 14 on the metal sheets and the ends 40 of the legs 38 of the brackets.

These clips are preferably provided at their opposite edges with projecting sharp retaining prongs 44 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for engaging the inner faces of the reversely turned flanges I4 of the metal sheets. Further, if desired, the outer face 46 of the clip 42 may be formed with an inwardly projecting lug 48 adapted to enter on opening 50in the end 40 of the bracket 34. In this way the clips 42 serve to hold the brackets and securing members firmly in place with respect to the metal panels 8 and 10 during the operation of expanding the insulation to embed the bracket and securing means in place therein. In this way the brackets and panel-securing means may be readily applied to the metal sheets and adjusted in position to assure accurate registry thereof in adjacent sheets prior to the introduction and expansion of the thermal insulation in producing the finished panels. In order to limit the transfer of heat from one metal sheet through the brackets to the other metal sheet the clips 42 are formed so as to present a very limited cross-sectional area and may be only about onehalf inch or so in width.

The construction thus provided serves to anchor the securing means in position and causes the forces applied to the securing means in drawing the panels 2 an 4 together to be applied through the parallel ends 40 of the legs of the brackets to the reversely turned flanges I4 of the metal sheets in directions parallel to the surface of the sheets of metal. The sheets are thus placed under tension in a manner to prevent or oppose any tendency for the metal sheets to flex or buckle during use and in a manner to oppose any tendency for the metal sheets to separate from' the thermal insulation material therebetween. It is also a characteristic of the "foamed-inplace" insulation material used, that it tends to adhere tena' ciously to the metal sheets and to the brackets and securing means employed whereby the finished panels possess great strength and resistance to bending. The assembly of panels resulting from the securing of a plurality of panels of the present invention together in erecting a refrigerated structure therefore lends itself to use in producing a great variety of types and sizes of refrigerated equipment.

We claim:

I. A refrigerated structure embodying an assembly of panels secured together in edge to edge relation, said panels each comprising a body of thermal-insulating material provided with outer metal sheets, extending over and secured to the opposite faces of the thermal-insulating material, said sheets having marginal extensions projecting inwardly about the edges of the insulating material and presenting spaced reversely turned flanges extending parallel to the outer surfaces of the metal sheets, metal brackets embedded within the thermal-insulating material and provided with spaced parallel portions positioned so that the ends of the parallel portions of the bracket are located adjacent and parallel to the reversely turned flanges on said metal sheets, means for securing said portions of the bracket to the flanges in predetermined positions, and locking means for securing the panels together in edge to edge relation, said locking means being carried by said brackets and exposed in the edges of the panels between said flanges and located in positions to register with complimentary locking means in the edge of an adjacent panel in the assembly.

2. An insulating panel as defined in claim I wherein said bracket is provided with spaced legs joined by a looped section an the panel-securing means has a portion disposed between and attached to the opposite sides of said looped section of the bracket.

3. An insulating panel as defined in claim I wherein the legs of the bracket are secured to the reversely turned flanges of said metal sheets by S-shaped clips.

4. A structure according to claim I, wherein said bracket is supported within said panel only by saidreversely turned flanges.

5. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said edges of said insulating material are exposed.

6. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said insulating material comprises an expanded resinous material 7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein said exposed edges of said insulating material are' formed with one edge presenting a projecting tongue and the other edge having a groove; and

said tongue and groove being sized and aligned for the mating engagement of adjacent panels. 

